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"Green" homes are basically a lie. If the new residents of these homes still have to drive to work, they aren't any more sustainable than the previous house--the "greenest" thing you can do is live close enough to places like work, school, shopping to walk there!
I agree. So much of the "green" housing movement is pushing these sorts of solutions, yet if nothing about the larger environment changes then they're still not "green." It sounds like this particular project reuses materials, which is nice, but so many times these don't. My biggest pet peeve is reading articles about smug people who knock down existing homes, put down bamboo floors and eco-friendly paint, then proclaim themselves "green." I don't think this stuff would bug me so much if it wasn't lauded everywhere as the greenest thing to do, and the people who buy them as environmental heroes.
"Green" homes are basically a lie. If the new residents of these homes still have to drive to work, they aren't any more sustainable than the previous house--the "greenest" thing you can do is live close enough to places like work, school, shopping to walk there!
Absolutely agree!
I'm consulting for a company right now, and one thing they like to gloat over is the fact that they built the building "green". Funny thing is that they had to gut this sizable forest 20 miles west of the city to build the building, which was completely wild beforehand. And because it's 20 miles west of the city, everyone has to drive to this location (they laid down a parking garage). I live 2 miles from downtown and I have to drive 40 miles round-trip each day. Some people live 10 miles east of the city, so I can't imagine their drives. Funny thing is that there was PLENTY of buildable land and leaseable property available 10 miles in further.
Very frequently, there are snakes or deer or something else hanging around outside the building and everyone freaks out. Absolute stupidity.
I think people tend to confuse 'green' with energy efficiency.
I bought a newer home because it was small but made a good use of space, featured energy-efficient windows, toilets, showerheads, heat, etc. because I wanted to save money on monthly bills after living in a terribly INefficient apartment that was built in the 80s. Still though -- none of the materials inside of the house are extra 'green' and none of the fixtures/finishes are reclaimed/reused from other projects. I wouldn't call it a 'green home' at all, but my energy bills are lower.
I think people tend to confuse 'green' with energy efficiency.
I bought a newer home because it was small but made a good use of space, featured energy-efficient windows, toilets, showerheads, heat, etc. because I wanted to save money on monthly bills after living in a terribly INefficient apartment that was built in the 80s. Still though -- none of the materials inside of the house are extra 'green' and none of the fixtures/finishes are reclaimed/reused from other projects. I wouldn't call it a 'green home' at all, but my energy bills are lower.
I was under the impression that "green" translated to Environmentally-Friendly. I would imagine that energy efficiency (less natural resources used, less polution), recycled products (less raw products ripped from the earth), preservation of nature (less development, preservation of land), etc. all count as friendly to the environment. Am I missing something?
I was under the impression that "green" translated to Environmentally-Friendly. I would imagine that energy efficiency (less natural resources used, less polution), recycled products (less raw products ripped from the earth), preservation of nature (less development, preservation of land), etc. all count as friendly to the environment. Am I missing something?
To some extent. Building a house uses energy equivalent to several decades of that house's energy budget. Demolishing it typically wastes a lot of materials, and even recycling building materials takes energy and is far from 100% efficient. In some cases, like a poorly built McMansion, demolition and reconstruction might be the only option--but generally it's a better energy strategy to rehab and repair vs. demolish and rebuild.
However--it is proximity to the places you go that makes the most difference in terms of household carbon footprint. Two "green building" type houses at the far end of a car-centric suburb are actually less "green" than two conventional homes in a walkable neighborhood where most tasks can be accomplished without a car (even if the car in question gets good gas mileage.)
So it's better than nothing--but not all that "green" in the long run.
Two "green building" type houses at the far end of a car-centric suburb are actually less "green" than two conventional homes in a walkable neighborhood where most tasks can be accomplished without a car (even if the car in question gets good gas mileage.)
So it's better than nothing--but not all that "green" in the long run.
But lets face reality, not EVERYONE is going to live in a walkable neighborhood. Transportation is not the ONLY source of energy use or GHG admissions. Green building, all other things being equal, CAN be a significant source of GHG savings (as well as having other eco benefits)
I agree that tearing down an existing functional structure sounds silly. The more logical thing to do would be to convert the mcmansions to multifamily homes. If zoning allows.
Tearing down an existing, useful building is never "green."
What she said!
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